A fresh row has broken out at the BBC over who will replace Gary Lineker as Match of the Day host, with frontrunner Mark Chapman reportedly refusing plans for a job share.
Lineker, 63, confirmed yesterday that he was leaving the flagship football show at the end of the season after 25 years as host – despite apparently volunteering to give up £350,000 of his £1.35million salary to stay in the role.
BBC Sport boss Alex Kay-Jelski is determined to refresh the show and seemingly declined Lineker’s offer, kicking off a race to replace him.
Kay-Jelski is said to have proposed for Chapman, the current host of Match of the Day 2 to share presenting duties with Kelly Somers, 33.
However, the 51-year-old has flatly refused a Match of the Day job share, it is claimed.
Gary Lineker has quit Match of the Day after 26 years with the BBC’s flagship football show
Match of the Day 2 host Mark Chapman is a front-runner to take over from Lineker
However, reports claim Chapman is not keen to rotate the role with Kelly Somers (pictured)
‘As soon as Gary’s deal was done, Alex made it clear he wanted Mark and Kelly to replace him,’ a source told The Sun.
‘It would effectively be a job share and they would rotate hosting duties between them. Mark has made it clear within the team at MOTD that this isn’t something he would want to do.
‘He doesn’t want a job share, he wants Gary’s role as his own, which is understandable. It’s a headache for the BBC because they thought they’d found an easy solution.
‘It’s back to the drawing board and negotiations are ongoing.’
Kay-Jelski has been branded ‘the hatchet man’ behind the scenes of the BBC, sources told MailOnline last month, and played a key role in axing Jermaine Jenas following his sexting scandal.
According to one insider, the executive believes Lineker’s name no longer carries as much weight as it once did, views his salary as ‘excessive’ and has privately admitted Match of the Day viewers would tune in no matter the host.
‘He’s fronted Match of the Day for over 25 years, so the show is due a change, and Kay-Jelski is the man ruthless enough to trigger one,’ the source said last month – correctly predicting yesterday’s outcome.
‘His brutal axing of Jenas shows he’s not afraid to make big decisions and he has no qualms about potentially upsetting Lineker. There’s a feeling within Match of the Day a new era is ready to kick in and Lineker will be the biggest casualty.’
Lineker’s contract finishes at the end of the season but has been given an 18-month extension
MailOnline previously revealed that the BBC had apparently drafted a press release announcing Lineker’s immediate departure from Match of the Day.
Kay-Jelski was the alleged author of the email, having only started his Head of Sport job in April.
He shipped out Jenas, who according to some reports was being lined up to step into Lineker’s shoes at the helm of the flagship football show.
In the light of rumours Jenas had sent sexually inappropriate texts to younger female colleagues, Kay-Jelski launched an investigation into the case and ruthlessly sacked Jenas in a video call while he was on holiday with his family.
Once the decision was made, Kay-Jelski sent a terse email to the BBC’s entire sports staff announcing: ‘Hello all, I wanted to let you know that Jermaine Jenas is no longer working for the BBC. Thanks Alex.’
According to insiders, he was equally tough in negotiations with Lineker over the renewal of his current contract, which expires at the end of the football season.
It is understood that Kay-Jelski was irritated by Lineker’s often outspoken comments on his non-BBC podcast that he hosts alongside MOTD colleagues Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, which is produced by his own lucrative company Goalhanger.
Lineker sparked controversy this summer after describing England’s performances in the early stages of Euro 2024 as ‘s***’
A source claims that Chapman ‘doesn’t want a job share, he wants Gary’s role as his own’
Despite being cast out, Lineker has nonetheless secured a new money-spinning deal with the BBC to stream his immensely lucrative The Rest is Football podcast on the BBC Sounds app.
The footballer turned pundit has been the regular presenter of the show since 1999 but he will end his 25-year stint on the Saturday night programme as its £1.35million-a-year host at the end of this season.
Lineker, a lightning rod for criticism over impartiality in recent years who was seen walking his dog this morning, will leave the corporation altogether after the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States when he is 65, as first reported by MailOnline in October.
In a 21-word statement, which did not mention leaving Match of the Day at all, he said: ‘I’m delighted to continue my long association with BBC Sport and would like to thank all those who made this happen’.
The statement read: ‘The BBC and Gary Lineker have agreed in principle a contract extension through to the 2026 World Cup.
‘Gary will lead the coverage of the tournament, as England once again try to land a first major trophy since 1966, the other Home Nations look to qualify and Lionel Messi aims to retain the trophy he won with Argentina.
‘Gary will also host BBC Sport’s coverage of the FA Cup in the 2025-26 season, 35 years on from lifting the trophy as a player.
‘After a quarter of a century, Gary is stepping down from hosting Match of The Day at the end of this season. He will continue with the MOTD Top Ten podcast and the BBC will also host the hugely popular The Rest is Football podcast on BBC Sounds.’
Former Director General Greg Dyke said today that Lineker’s penchant for giving personal views will have been ‘in the mind’ of the BBC when they decided to go for a new host.
‘In the end, people watch Match Of The Day for the football’, he said.